I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Mark 12-13.

    The parable of the evil farmers was directed at the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, at the ones in the audience when He told it. However, it contains a message for leaders of today as well. The message is that all leaders have been given their position of leadership by God and they owe Him for that position. However, there is also a message there for everyone. Those who have been given positions of leadership by God face a constant temptation to usurp God’s authority. It is a temptation that all too many of them give into.

    The various groups of Jewish leaders asked Jesus questions which were designed to have no right answer. In the question He asked in return, Jesus showed that trick questions do not lead to understanding. Jesus was asked three questions. Two were designed to trap Him, the third was asked out of a genuine desire to hear Jesus’ answer. In the first two Jesus answers in a manner to clearly show up the flaw in the thought process of the person asking the question. In the first question, the questioners are more concerned with the law of the land than with the Law of God. In Jesus’ answer He points out that while our money has the image of our government, we ourselves have the image of God. We should let the government have our money, but we should give ourselves completely to God. In this election season I find myself giving myself (by my engaging in the political debate) to the government. I should spend the time I spend worrying about politics serving God (or finding new ways to serve God). I find this lesson reinforced by Jesus’ answer to the question about the greatest commandment and by His commentary on the widow who gives all that she had. Are we giving all that we can to God’s service? Or are we expending our resources on other things?